Here I respond to questions by my readers. The Twenty Years’ War is one of the most formative arcs of the Ynglinga Saga, a defining period in the transition from ruling family to master-race ethnicity; the upcoming “Blood of Frey” arc deals with the domestic response of the Ynglings to the national trauma they have just undergone. In this context it is a bit depressing to realise that the Burgundians, for example, who weren’t even played by a human, barely noticed their defeat.

So Norway at long last emerges triumphant but with barely the strength to hold onto its empire, or so it seems. That’s got to be the biggest revolt I’ve ever seen in Vicky; talk about throwing off the Imperialist yoke. (or is it yolk, I’m not sure :confused: ) How are the other powers doing? In other words, have they been able to turn an advantage out of this long and destructive war?

I suppose I’d say Spain was the big winner, emerging with all of Africa – nobody else was in any shape to compete for it, plus they got some defections from Poland. China, similarly, is now the number one industrial power, though they made the mistake of trying to take on Britain and are currently bogged down in Japan, with partisans all over Korea. Byzantium has its pre-Manzikert borders back, for the first time since 1066, but they’re never going to be a major power. Italy grabbed a little land off the Burgundians while I was sacking Brussels. Persia made the mistake of having a land border with China, and got spanked for it.

As for the two European majors, alas, they hardly noticed that they’d just been beaten in a life-and-death struggle. (Well, in Britain’s case, it wasn’t actually beaten.) Burgundy is still the second biggest industrial power, and Britain has built 300 battleships. They’ve both got ind scores in the high three thousands; I spent this session frantically climbing from 1100 to just over 2000, by stuffing every POP I could lay my hands on into a factory.

could we say that Norway is the formost power in this turbulant world?

In a word, no. A human Burgundy or Britain, or even Spain, would crush me like a bug. Or, at any rate, shrug me off like a bug; the fortifications I’ve spent millions building all along my coastline and through Denmark should hold off even a pretty determined attack. Then again, I’m not too sure about that. I had a little brushfire war reannexing the US this session; they had two provinces left, and 60 divisions to defend them. (And a population of 14 million… Yay hardcoded immigration bonuses!) Nevertheless, 21 artillery divisions, a leader with +7 firepower, and gas attacks did for them; dug-in at 60, bad terrain, and all. Presumably, a human Britain could do something similar to me; there is absolutely no way I can compete in sea power, so they can choose their own landing place.